Phillip Couvaras, Area Manager and General Manager – Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts

Before moving to Thailand, Khun Phillip had been area manager responsible for Sule Shangri-La, Yangon; Shangri-La Serviced Apartments and new developments in Myanmar since April 2011. Currently he oversees properties in Thailand and Myanmar.

An Australian national, Mr. Couvaras brings to Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok extensive management experience in worldwide hotel operations.  He has more than 30 years experience in the hospitality industry and six of which have been spent with Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts by joining as general manager at Hotel Jen, Upper East Beijing in April 2009.

His managerial experiences also include general manager at Carlson Hotels Asia Pacific’s Radisson Resort Fiji, Denarau Island; Couran Cove Island Resort on Australia’s Gold Coast; The Table Bay Hotel and The Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, Cape Town in South Africa.

His career commenced with Sun International, an African-based tourism and leisure group with resorts, casinos and luxury hotel products across South Africa, which lasted for almost two decades. He joined Wild Coast Sun Casino Resort, South Africa in December 1983 and was transferred to Mmabatho Sun Hotel & Casino Resort in 1986 before moving through the ranks to senior management positions of the company, including general manager at Wild Coast Sun Hotel & Casino Resort in South Africa, The Royal Livingstone Hotel and Zambezi Sun in Zambia.

Mr. Couvaras was graduated from The Hotel School – Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa.  He has completed an executive development programme at the Graduate School of Business, University of Cape Town. He also holds various certificates from Rhode University in South Africa, Cornell Summer School in New York, and IMD Business School in Lausanne, Switzerland.